When choosing a location to stay on the island of Oahu with your family, the OHANA Waikiki Malia is a wonderful choice.  Located in the heart of Honolulu, just a 15 minute walk to the beach, and 5 minutes from shopping, the city bus stops right out front of the hotel to get you to your next activity. The hotel may not host luxuries like a spa or a pool, but the rooms, view, and location will have you hooked once checked in.

For our family of 5 we had two adjoining rooms with two double beds in each.  Having all of the kids in their own bed was relaxing and important to them after a long day of excursions, beach, and the sun.  We were thrilled to have a very clean room with all the basic amenities that was comfortable and something we looked coming back to each evening.

Renovated in 2010, the guest rooms have a tropical leaf themed bed cover on the plush Serta beds and cherry-toned woods in the custom headboards, dressers, and vanity. The custom wood pieces are complemented by granite countertops on the bar/coffee area giving an modern Hawaiian feel.  The bathrooms are perfect with a detachable shower head making baths for little ones easier to manage.

The balconies sported fabulous city views with the ocean peeking behind the buildings.  The space itself didn’t allow for a chair or sitting, but the sliding door and adjoining windows did offer plenty of light during the day and a beautiful lit scenery at night.  We stayed over a Friday night and were excited when we had a spectacular view of a fireworks show southwest of our room.

Being midpoint on our trip, it was time for laundry to be done and an oversized washer and dryer was available on the 5th floor.  For under $10 we refreshed our clothing and especially our swimwear that takes a beating with moisture, salt, and never really drying out.

The hotel security is reassuring as you need a key card once in the main elevator to get to your floor.  The lobby is very helpful in every aspect and there were a few times we needed our keycards reactivated and security and privacy was always considered by checking ID.  The parking garage is also secure with in and out access via a parking attendant.  Be careful as the driveways are really narrow!  Parking is $20/night.

Families will enjoy this aspect of the OHANA Waikiki Malia,  it sits adjacent to an IHOP restaurant (with door leading into the restaurant from the hotel).  Perfect for my kids aged 12, 10, and 5 with simple tastes of comfort foods, for certain afternoon/evening hours, kids eat free with an adult purchase!  Perfect for parents who want to ensure kids are eating meals they like at reasonable prices, you feel good not having to eat gourmet each day.

Honestly, none of us missed not having a pool on site.  If we wanted to, we could visit other OHANA/Outrigger hotels in the area with our room key, but it was the part of our vacation where we headed up to the North Shore during the day so we generally were just in the hotel to sleep.  My husband teases that none of the hotels should have pools with the biggest warmest pool, the ocean,  at our fingertips! I tend to agree!  Overall, save your money for excursions and souvenirs, save by staying at a quality location like the OHANA Waikiki Malia!

Our stay was hosted for two nights, all opinions are our own.